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Ship Shape: Obama Ocean Policy Task Force Hearings

Posted Sep. 8, 2009 / Posted by: RConnors

President Obama wants your ideas on how to protect our Oceans, Coasts and Great Lakes!

Our oceans, coasts, and Great Lakes are places of wonder and beauty, and they are also economic engines that provide valuable jobs, food, recreation, energy resources, and tourism. However, these essential resources are currently managed by more than 140 different, and often conflicting, laws which can lead to poor management and even worse problems.

In order to overcome the enormous challenges faced by our oceans and Great Lakes -- including air and water pollution, habitat loss, and climate change -- we need one unifying national policy that will protect, maintain, and restore the health of our ocean ecosystems.

On June 12, President Obama created a 23-member Ocean Policy Task Force to develop a first ever national ocean policy. The Task Force has planned at least five listening sessions this fall around the nation to gather public input. But time is short! The president needs to hear from you on the need for a strong comprehensive national policy that protects, maintains and restores our oceans, coasts and Great Lakes.

The tentative schedule for listening sessions includes:

San Francisco, California: September 17th (confirmed) Where: Hyatt Regency San Francisco at Embarcadero Center, Ballroom A Time: 2:30 pm to 6:00 pm If you are on Facebook, you can RSVP for the Event now!

How You Can Help

Speak up for a strong national policy to protect our oceans, coasts and Great Lakes! Urge President Obama to issue an Executive Order that establishes a comprehensive national policy that protects, maintains, and restores our oceans, coasts, and Great Lakes. We need a national policy that restores wildlife populations, protects key ocean wildlife habitat areas, cleans up our waterways and reduces the impacts of climate change.

Plan to come to a hearing! -- Send in a comment letter! -- Post to your favorite blogs!